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My prayers go out to you and your family. My father passed away just a few weeks ago on February 26. He also was a WWII Vet. Dad served as a radioman on the USS Barnes in the Pacific theatre.

Make sure that you contact the local American Legion or the VFW. They will arrange for a military funeral for your dad. For my father's funeral they did a wonderful job. His casket was covered with the American flag, and two sailors came to the burial. As his casket was moved from the hearse, the sailors stood and saluted. Both were members of the Honor Guard.

The senior sailor, an E-5, stood at attention in front of the grave, and the other, an E-4, went off in the distance to play taps. As taps began, the E-5 did a slow, smart salute. This is the military's final goodbye to a fallen service member. Then, the two came to slowly, carefully fold up the flag. The E-5 then brought the folded flag to my mother, and told her "On behalf of the United States of America, President Bush, and the Department of the Navy, thank you for your husband's service to our country." That was the point where I lost it.

My Mom, bless her heart, tried to give the sailors money, but they of course could not accept it. The E-5 said "Ma'm, I promise you that tonight, we will raise a glass in honor of your husband."

"Then, the two came to slowly, carefully fold up the flag. The E-5 then brought the folded flag to my mother, and told her "On behalf of the United States of America, President Bush, and the Department of the Navy, thank you for your husband's service to our country." That was the point where I lost it."

Wow. Just reading your comment brings back memories of my father's burial a few years ago. I'm the only son, and with my mom being 74 at the time and not in the best of health, I was responsible for handling all of the details for the family. Throughout the ordeal, I was calm and cool - I guess I knew I had to be in order to get everyone (including myself) through it.

An Air Force detail, led by a Lt. Col., attended to my father's ceremony along with the local VFW folks. My father was Army Air Corp and an aviation engineer on "modified" B-29's in the Pacific. [I was later told that was why the Air Force had such a strong presence at the funeral]. Anyways, as soon as the words "On behalf of..." were uttered, I lost it. Utterly and completely. Yes, I was sad at the loss of my father. But, all in an instant, I was never prouder of him than I was right then and there.